Language-access advocates ask to join vision and value conversations for the city’s 311 service-request product, arguing that non-English speakers are underserved. Some directors call that “out of scope politics.” What should the Product Owner do?

Equity and access advocates represent real customer outcomes for municipal products. Including them in vision and value conversations helps the Product Owner see underserved demand and avoid optimizing only for already-served residents. That does not mean advocates order the Product Backlog, but their evidence is in-scope for Product Goal and value definition. Parking access in a later equity project or substituting a brochure treats inclusion as optional decoration.